Container



Nov. 28, 1944. v R. R. WALTON ET AL I CONTAINER Filed May 17, 1941 4Sheets-Sheet 1 fnverziars d .53 walz firz, ai /652172, and Gordon, Z6052?.

N 28, 1944- I R; R. WALTON ETAL V 2,364,012 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1944- R.R. WALTON ETAL 2,364,012

CONTAINER 4 Sheets- Sheet :5

Filed May 17, 1941 J (2124652572 and .E Goff.

Q I Gordon Nov. 28, 1944.

R. R. WALTON ET AL 2,364,012

CONTAINER Filed May 17, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 28, 1944CONTAINER Richard R. Walton, Wellesley, John J. Austin, Milton, andGordon E. Gott, Arlington Heights, Mass., assignors of one-half toContainer Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofDelaware, and one-half to Dewey and Almy Chemical Company, Cambridge,Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 17, 1941, SerialNo. 394,006

Claims.

This invention is concerned with vapor-proof storage and shippingcontainers. The new container is particularly useful in connection withfrozen foods but may be used at other temperatures to protect anyproduct which must be maintained incompletely stable atmospheric con-.dition.

Among the objects of the invention are 'to provide a storage andshipping container for substances which suffer either from gain or lossof moisture and in which such substances may be shipped and storedwithout change; to provide an inexpensive shipping and storage containerwhich will eliminate loss of moisture from foodstuffs throughout thetime of their frozen in storage; to conserve storage space; to provide adispensng container for retailers which may -be resealed; to protect theremaining foodstuffs I after the sale of one of the individual packages;

to avoid the labor and expense of protecting individually each retailpackage; and to provide both a mechanism and a process whereby groups ofretail packages may be protected against moisture loss.

Food, such as peas, green and Lima beans, and fish fillets, lfOl'example, are usually prepared for frozen storage by packing them incardboard containers holding 12 ounces or somewhat larger quantities.The packages are then overwrapped with cellulose or wax paper sheets andfrozen and stored. It is extremely difficult and quite expensive to seallong margins of sheet stock in a completely vapor-proof manner andneither cellulose sheet nor wax paper is completely vaporproof.Consequently, foodstuffs, although better protected than if left exposedto the atmosphere, lose moisture and deteriorate slowly as the monthsinstorage pass.

In carrying out our invention, we take advantage of the fact thatcertain materials, such as rubber, sheets of latex rubber, rubberhydrohalide, polyvinyl acetals and other of the newer elastomers formsubstantially vapor-proof films a stiff, close fitting lining whichmaintains the relative position of all parts permanently. We haveselected a container suitable for frozen foods as our preferred example.For this use, sheet latex rubber is the preferred substance.Consequently, in the following description, the words rubber, rubberlatex, etc., are to be taken as illustrative of an operative materialand 'We do not intend that a limitation to the specific material shallbe implied.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows in perspective a presently preferred formof exhaust box and a fiberboard outer container about to be inserted inoperative position within the box;

Figure 2 illustrates the next step in forming a multiwalled container inaccordance with our invention and shows the wayin which a bag of elasticmaterial is stretched over the upper edge of the outer container;

Figure 3 is a similar view, partly in section, showing the way in whichthe bag stretches when vacuum is applied to the exhaust box;-

Figure 3alis an enlarged sectional view showing the detailedconstruction of the exhaust box and of the exhaust pipe associatedtherewith.

Figure 4 shows a preferred form of inner lining in accordance with ourinvention.

Figure 5 shows the manner in which the bottom flaps of the liner ofFigure 4 are i'nfolded; Figure 6 shows the liner of Figure 5 after ithas been collapsed to facilitate insertion into the elastic bag;

Figure 7 shows the collapsed liner of Figure 6 about to be inserted intothe elastic bag while the latter is stretched as shown in Figure 3;

Figure 8 shows the multiwalled container after.

the flaps on the inner. lining have been pushed down to substantiallycoplanar position;

Figure 9 illustrates the removal of the multiwalled container from theexhaust box after the vacuum has been released;

Figure 10 shows the multiwalled container.

after the bottom flaps have been closed and sealed, in this instance, bythe use of tape;

Figure 11 shows the multiwalled container after Figure 15 shows thefilled multiwalled conthe closing flaps 3|, 3| and'32, 32.

tainer just before the top flapsare closed and sealed.

We provide an exhaust box or receptacle l having a base H and upstandingwalls l2. The top is open but around its inside margin we place aperipheral gasket of rubber l3. Preferably, the

- box I0 is made of sheet metal and preferably also the rubber gasket I3is retained by bending over the margins of the walls l2 and pinching therubber between the inturned margin and the wall. The air exhaustconnection l5 projects a short distance into the receptacle I0 and iscut on a bevel, as the small section Figure 3a shows. This expedientprevents the'carton' and the sack which are later inserted from shuttingoff the flow of air, but other means, such as studs, on the walls |2located below the gasket I3, or air permeable pads of burlap similarlylocated, are equally effective.

As Figure 1 shows, a carton l6, for example one made of corrugated fibreboard having its bottom flaps l1 extended and generally occupying theplane of the walls 22 of the carton, 'is pushed into the open end of theexhaust box The top flaps N3 of the carton are bent outwardly and turneddown against the carton walls 22 and then, as shown in Figure 2, themouth portion H! of an extensible and flexible sack 2| is snapped overthe open end of the carton 6 in such a manner that the end is completelyclosed by the sack. A valve not shown is then opened connecting a vacuumI pump to the exhaust connection l5 and the air that pushing a cartonwhich has its bottom flaps exto force the rubber sack directly againstthe walls of the carton and leave no fillet in the useable carton spacewhich might later stress and tear the sack.

We next insert a liner 26. Preferably this is a slotted corrugated fibreboard carton, the outside dimensions of which substantially equal theinterior dimensions of the outer carton IS. The slots 28 .at its cornersare carried to approximately A? above the score lines 29 which definethe flaps 3|, 3| and 32, 32. In addition, all four of its side walls areprovided. with fold lines 33, 33 or scores which extend not only alongthe walls of the liner 26 but also across For this reason, if one pairof flaps-32, 32, for example, is folded into the liner first and downagainst its side walls and then flaps 3|, 3| are pushed inwardly anddownwardly into the liner in such a manner that the flaps 32, 32 areheld down against the side walls, as shown in Fig. 5 the liner can becollapsed into the star shape shown in Fig. 6. In this collapsedcondition the liner 26 is inserted into the rubber-lined outer carton l6(see Fig. 7) and is then expanded as shown in Figure 8, so that thedistribution of rubber is equalized and the sack 2|: is uniformly heldagainst all of the interior surface of the carton l8. Flaps 3|, 3| arethen turned down and after this flaps 32,32 are turned down so that thebottom and side walls are lined with the corrugated board. It is notessen- I tial that the bottom of the liner 26 be completely closed aslong as it is sufliciently'so to prevent damage to the sack 2|. .Weprefer to use the box form of liner just described because there neveris any difiiculty in positioning various parts and. because the finalcase is stronger but, obviously, separate lining pieces could be used.

The liner 26 holds the sack 2| securely in a.

fully expanded position and although the sack may try to shrink orcollapse, it cannot. The valve is then closed so that the vacuum on theexhaust box I0 is broken and the lined carrton is pulled out of theexhaust box l0 (Fig. 9). The fullness of the sack 2| is then pushed downbehind the bottom flaps I! which may then either be taped or machinesealed (Fig. 10).

We believe it the better procedure to expand the sack 2| into a cartonwhich has its bottom end flaps left open but it is possible, however, toexpand the sack into a set-up carton and still reduce the fillet formedbetween the sack and the floor and walls of the carton to negligiblesize if sufficient venting is provided and if the vents are so placedthat the expanding sack cannot act as a valve and shut off the flow of Iair. Occasionally certain carton designs vent sufliciently withoutspecial precaution but it is preferable because more certain to outsmall vents in the four lower corners of the carton. With out vents airfrom behind the fillet may be pumped out in nearly all cases and thefillet will practically disappear if the exhaust is continued to thenecessary degree.

The lined carton is now loaded with a number of retail packages 34 andwhen full the flaps 3|, 3| and 32, 32 are bent down over the packages.If thesev contain fish, vegetables or meat such substances are betterpreserved if air is pumped out of the packages and the carton. Thisoperation is performed in the following manner. The mouth portion |9 ofthe sack 2| is unsnapped from the carton l6 and its fullness gatheredabout an evacuating nozzle 35 as shown in Fig. 12. When the air has beenpumped out from the sack, the carton is twisted through sev- V of thecarton I6.

-are sealed in any convenient manner.

eral revolutions while the mouth part of the sack 2| is still grippedtightly against the vacuum nozzle 35. This operation forms a twistedseal as shown at 36 which experience has proved to be moisture and gastight. Still holding the portion 36 against unwinding; the operator thenstretches it, as Fig. 14 shows, until the mouth l9 can be snapped overone of the top flaps l8 unwind. The opposing top-flap is then turned inand the closing flaps are turned down. These If air has not been removedfrom the container. the

sack itself may-be twisted to form the seal 36' strawboard. In thatcase, waterproofed or' Thereafter the seal cannot dense millboard stockis preferable. Such packages may be stored for long times while stackedto considerable height without softening or may keep it in his ownfreezer without risk of deterioration until the last package is soldrnerely by untwisting the neck as each sale is made, taking out oneretail package and then forming the seal again. By this means thepackages may be protected against all desiccation and contamination upto the moment of sale, yet the heavy expense of wrapping each individualpackage in a vapor-proof manner is entirely eliminated.

As we have stated, we prefer to utilize formed bags for the liner.Where-the package is not too large and the reduction in the thickness ofthe extensible material does not become too great, it is possible topractice this invention using fiat sheets rather than a formed envelope.

The margins of the sheets in this case are merely turned down and heldagainst the top flaps of the carton. As the air is removed, the sheetstretches until a sack is formed which lies closely against the sides ofthe case.

For cigarettes and other articles, where the.

retention of moisture is important but which arenot frozen, we utilize amaterial which has a lower transmission of moistu're at room tem-.

perature than does latex-rubber. For such uses we prefer to use sheetsor sacks of vulcanized rubber, or heat softened rubber hydrohalide, but

polyvinyl acetals and other like materials are also useful.

' From the above it will be apparent thatwe have described a new andextremely advantageous container and packaging method, manymodifications of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Wedo not, therefore, desire to be limited to the embodiment of ourinvention hereinabove describedflfo'r purposes of illustration, butonly, by the scope of the appended claims. I

We claim:

1. A container comprising a shipping carton having top and bottomclosing flaps, an openmouthed sack of impervious sheet material placedagainst the set up walls of the carton and I a lining placed within andcoextensive with all 7 portions'of the sack disposed against the set upwalls, said sack having a twisted neck portion forming an air tight sealand having its extreme mouth portion drawn over a flap of the carton.whereby the twisted neck of .the' sack is held against unwinding.

2. The process of lining ashipping container which comprises providingan open-ended receptacle having upstanding walls adapted to receive atleast the open end flaps of a fibre shipping carton, snapping the openrim of an extensible vapor-impervious sack over the turned down top endflaps of the carton, exhausting the air in the receptacle and in thecarton whereby the free air pressure forces the extensible material intocontact with the interior walls of the carton at least below the foldline of the bottom flaps, inserting a collapsed liner having a wallextent corresponding to the interior wall extent of the carton, removingthe carton from the receptacle and sealing the bottom flaps.

3. The process of lining a shipping container which comprises coveringan; open end of a fibre shipping carton with a sack of extensiblevapor-impervious material, forcing the extensible material intoclose'contact with the interior walls of the carton, inserting a linerhaving a perimeter and wall extent corresponding to the interiorperimeter and wall extent of the carton and closing the bottom of thecarton.

4. The process of lining a shipping container with vapor-proofextensible material which comprises closing an end of the carton with asheet of extensible material by engaging its margins with the margins ofthe carton, exhausting air from within the carton whereby the extensiblematerial expands to cover and to lie closely against the upstandingwalls of the carton permitting the material to expand until the wallportions of the sackso formed cover atleast the permanent upstandingwalls of the carton, in-

serting a liner within the sack and closing the bottom of the carton.

5. A container comprising a shipping carton having top and bottomclosing flaps, an openmouthed sack of extensible impervious sheetmaterial placed against the set up walls of thecarton and a liningplaced within and coextensive with all portions of the sack disposedagainst "theset up walls, said sack having a twisted neck portionforming an air-tight seal and having its extreme mouth portion drawnover a flap of the carton whereby the twisted neck of the sack is heldagainst unwinding.

RICHARD R. WALTON. JOHN J..AUSTIN.

GORDON E. (50171.

